MARVIN GAYE - WHAT'S GOING ON - Vinyl LP - Motown - 1971 VG FREE POSTAGE (3089)
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MARVIN GAYE - WHAT'S GOING ON - Vinyl LP - Motown - 1971 VG FREE POSTAGE (3089)
🌍 Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On (1971, Tamla/Motown Records)
What’s Going On is Marvin Gaye’s eleventh studio album, released on May 21, 1971, by Tamla Records, a Motown subsidiary (catalog number TS310). Widely hailed as one of the greatest albums of all time, it marked a bold artistic shift for Gaye—moving from romantic pop to socially conscious soul. The album is a cohesive song cycle told from the perspective of a Vietnam veteran returning home to find a nation plagued by injustice, poverty, and unrest.
🎼 Musical Style & Themes:
Genre: Soul, Progressive Soul, Psychedelic Soul, R&B
Seamless transitions between tracks create a unified narrative
Lyrics explore war, environmental decay, drug addiction, urban despair, and spiritual hope
Lush orchestration, layered vocals, and jazz-inflected grooves define its sound
Gaye produced the album himself, asserting creative control for the first time in his career
🎵 Track Listing:
What’s Going On – A gentle plea for peace and understanding
What’s Happening Brother – Disillusionment of returning veterans
Flyin’ High (In the Friendly Sky) – A haunting look at addiction
Save the Children – Emotional call for compassion and change
God Is Love – Spiritual affirmation
Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology) – Environmental lament ahead of its time
Right On – Jazz-driven meditation on justice and unity
Wholy Holy – Gospel-inspired hope
Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler) – Raw reflection on urban struggle
🎤 Production & Personnel:
Marvin Gaye – Vocals, producer
The Funk Brothers – Motown’s legendary house band
Detroit Symphony Orchestra – Strings and horns
Recorded at Hitsville U.S.A., Golden World, United Sound (Detroit), and The Sound Factory (Los Angeles)
📀 Legacy:
First male solo artist to land three Top 10 singles from one album on the Billboard Hot 100
Stayed on the Billboard Top LPs chart for over a year
Frequently ranked as the greatest album of all time by Rolling Stone and NME
Inspired Motown artists like Stevie Wonder to demand creative control
Continues to influence artists across genres and generations
What’s Going On is more than music—it’s a soul-deep meditation on humanity’s most urgent questions.
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